It looks like the end of the road for one of downtown Vancouver’s once-popular Korean convenience chains.
Grab n Go, known for its affordable hand rolls, inari, and instant noodle bowls, has quietly disappeared from the city.
The chain started back in 2021 in Yaletown and eventually operated 4 different locations around Downtown at its peak.
But over the last few months, closures began to trickle in – until now, when it seems the entire chain has gone cold.
Both of their Yaletown locations are now permanently shuttered.
One of them has already been replaced by Unni Pastries, a bakery cafe specializing in Korean-style baked goods.
Meanwhile, their West Pender location is marked as permanently closed, and the last remaining stall at Robson Public Market is listed as “temporarily closed.”
But considering how little foot traffic that upper-level food court gets, hopes for a true reopening are slim.
The closure isn’t entirely surprising given how rough things have been for small food businesses lately.
And when do some mental math on how many inari and instant noodles they would have to sell to even break even on rent…yea not so great.
Grab n Go offered something different when it first arrived: a mashup of Korean quick eats and 7-Eleven convenience vibes.
While this might be the end for Grab n Go, there’s still a silver lining for local inari lovers.
A new Korean-Japanese spot, Red Wasabi, recently opened in Yaletown and offers a similar grab-and-go experience.
It’s from the same folks behind Sushi Tree and Kimbap Cheonguk in Coquitlam, and looks to fill the void for affordable, handheld eats in the downtown core.
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